1.) Field of the Invention
This invent ion relates to a forearm and wrist support for computer mouse users.
A mouse is a hand held pointer used to manipulate the cursor on the display screen of a personal computer (pc). When operating a computer mouse, the user will generally rest the forearm on the table or desk top and bend the wrist upward to position the hand around the mouse and the finger tips adjacent the button or buttons on the mouse. Sometimes the user does not use the table, desk top or anything else to support the forearm or wrist, moving the forearm and wrist into all sorts of different positions and angles.
Applicant has spoken with doctors regarding wrist pain caused by use of a computer mouse on a table or desk top over many hours. It was suggested that to alleviate or prevent such pain, the forearm and wrist should stay straight and be supported. The wrist should not be bent up or down in a continuous, repetitious movement because this puts stress on tendons and nerves. Tendinitis and arthritis may be caused or aggravated by such movement. Repetitive stress injury (RSI) is caused by this bend in the wrist as finger motion in this position makes the muscles of the wrist work harder and increases the friction on the tendons. The muscles can shorten and cramp, and the tendons swell, compressing the nerve that connects with the thumb and first two fingers of the hand. Carpal tunnel syndrome, a common form of RSI, is the resulting numbness and tingling in those fingers. These injuries make simple acts, such as turning a doorknob, painful or impossible.
Keeping the elbow and wrist in a straight line and supporting the forearm helps to prevent or relieve these injuries, according to applicant's research and experience. In the invention of this application, applicant has used this information to design a unique forearm and wrist support.
2.) Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 226,411 to McElroy discloses an arm-rest for writers which is wrapped around the forearm. This is cumbersome and, since the rest is filled mostly with air, these is no firm support for the forearm and wrist. From the description, it is clear the McElroy device is designed to change in form to allow the rest to adapt its shape as muscular action changes the shape of the forearm.
U.S. Pat. No. 561,562 to Brownson et al provides an arm-rest with a solid, heavy base meant to keep the rest stationary in front of a telegraph key. This gives no support to the elbow which remains on the desk top. In U.S. Pat. No. 986,620 to Ballou, a metal wrist pad uses ball bearings to allow ease of movement of the forearm across a desktop.
The devices set forth by Cassano et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,606 and Rubey in U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,527 are meant only as wrist supports, as illustrated in their figures. The supports would not keep the elbow and wrist in a straight line, and the non-skid backings or attachments to the keyboard make the supports stationary or hard to move.
In his U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,630 Connor teaches the use of a small pad directly attached to a computer mouse. There is no forearm support and no way for a user to adjust the position of the pad relative to the mouse for better comfort. The Moore device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,203845 actually supports the mouse, and the shape of the wrist-support portion of the device appears to require the user to bend the wrist out of line with the forearm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,771 to Hassel et al shows another wrap around wrist support. There is no support for the forearm and no way to keep the wrist and elbow in a straight line. If the wrist support was used with a mouse, the configuration of the support would make it awkward to move the forearm across the table or desk top. Since the support binds the wrist in the neutral position, it might have to be removed every time the user needs to perform some other work function.
The prior art also includes pillows which support only the wrist. One type of pillow available on the market comprises a POLARTEC fabric surrounding a buckwheat hull filling. These pillows are meant for comfort and do not provide firm support for even the wrist. Some interfere with ease of movement of the computer mouse. They are comparable to beanbags.